When Exposed to Sunlight, These Clothes Clean Themselves
Could this mean the end of laundry day? Textile scientists in Australia and Hong Kong have developed a special coating for fabrics made of titanium dioxide nanoparticles that actually cause the fabric to self-clean when exposed to sunlight.
Besides the obvious benefit of less time spent doing laundry, the new fabric could also mean less water used to wash clothes and less detergent being washed down drains -- both of which are good for the environment.
When hit by direct sunlight, the nanoparticles -- specifically Keratins, a class of biologically fibrous proteins -- begin to interact with oxygen in the air, breaking down stains and dirt. According to a report on the scientists' findings in the science journal Chemistry of Materials, red-wine stains on pieces of wool started to fade within a few minutes of exposure to light and had all but vanished within a day (see the time-elapsed test here).
Supposedly, the nanoparticle coating does not affect the feel of treated clothing, but it may make the clothing less durable over time. It could take about five years to refine the technology to make it ready for wide distribution and use.
Note: This does not mean you can stop bathing -- an important caveat, especially for the Switched.com interns.
From The Daily Mail.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Jupiter @ Feb 12th 2008 7:53PM
Reminds me of the film The Man in the White Suit, where a man invents a fabric that stays clean and never wears out, and of course nobody wants it made because of all the clothing manufacturers, washers, detergent and washing machine makers, etc. who would be out of work as a result. Just watch this idea fade away and never be mentioned. Like the man (in real life) who invented tires that never wore out ~ the tire makers paid him handsomely to drop his designs.
Gee @ Feb 13th 2008 2:34AM
Interesting concept. I wonder if they are going to study how this coating interacts with humans.
For example,Scotch Guard breaks down over time and can cause problems with allergies and breathing. People who inhale large amounts of Scotch Guard, the lackeys that have to treat our sectionals for example, are at risk for lung problems.
Wonder if there will be similar problems. Especially for people with allergies and skin disorders?
Daniel Gaunt @ Feb 13th 2008 4:21AM
this has existed for years. its called skin!
go nude, save on laundery!
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